TRX

Sunday, June 17, 2012

RunnerDude's Gear Review: Timex Ironman Triathlon 150-Lap TapScreen

As long as I can remember, Timex has been long associated with quality, dependable and affordable time pieces. From my childhood, I remember the Timex commercials (back when they were 60secs not 15) with the "They take a licking and keep on ticking" slogan. The old John Cameron Swayze ads are still very vivid in my mind where they did everything from a speed skater putting the watch on his skate blade to putting the watch on the end of an arrowhead to the funny one in 1977 where they had a planned "failure" when an elephant stomped on the watch completely crushing it with Swazye replying, "It worked in rehearsal." The company has long since stopped using the catchy slogan, but I still can't help to think of durability and dependability when I think of Timex.

Actually, my first experience with the Timex Ironman watch rivals their old commercials. I was in my 20s and at the beach on vacation. Walking on the beach I spotted something in the water wrapped in seaweed. I quickly bent down to pick it up before the tide swept it back out to sea. Covered in slimy seaweed was a Timex Ironman watch. It had a tattered Velcro strap on it with a palm tree design. I figured it must have fallen off a surfer. No telling how long it had been in the water. It was a little beat up, but to my surprise it was still working. I cleaned it up, bought a new band, and actually wore that watch for about 5 years.

Ever since that walk on the beach, I've been a Timex Ironman wearer. I have several fancy GPS watches that I've tested for various companies, Timex included, and they all work really well, but sometimes a basic sports watch is all I want. Plus I don't have to worry about always having to charge the dang thing. Or worse be on a long run and it die on me.

Recently I had the opportunity to test one of Timex's newest sports watches the Timex Ironman Triathlon 150-Lap watch. It has all the expected Ironman tools such as the INDIGLO Night-Light making it easy to read at night, easy to find start/stop/reset buttons, and set up that so easy it's basically ready to use right out of the box. It also includes a Target Time Pacer and dated training log with best lap, average lap and total time as well as a 100-hour chronograph with lap and split times. The hydration and nutrition alarms reminding you when to refuel are pretty cool too.

But the coolest thing about this new Ironman watch is it's Tap Technology. This new technology allows you to log split times with one firm tap on the watch face. No more hitting the wrong buttons, slowing down or almost tripping while you look at your watch to measure splits. You can also set the tap to light, medium or hard. So no worries about accidentally tapping the screen and marking a "false lap." Another thing I like is the oversized display. The large numbers make it easy to read at a glance. It's also water resistance to 100m, so I don't have to worry that my soggy summer runs will damage the watch nor when I forget to take it off before hopping in the shower after a run.

So, if you're in need of a sports watch and want to easily keep track of your laps or miles as well as all the other cool bells and whistles Timex provides, check out the Timex Ironman Triathlon 150-Lap watch.

Note: While Timex requested the product review and provided the watch for testing, I received no payment for completing the review, nor was I encouraged to write a positive review. The review results are strictly based on my experience with the watch.

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About Me

Certified running and fitness coach Thad McLaurin hosts and writes the popular RunnerDude's Blog as well as being a contributing writer for Active.com. He's also the owner of RunnerDude's Fitness in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has a BA in Education from UNC-Chapel Hill, and his credentials include personal trainer certifications from NPTI and ACSM, as well as running coach certifications from RRCA and USA-Track & Field. Thad’s greatest reward is helping others live healthy, active lifestyles. From general fitness to marathon training, Thad can help you reach your fitness and running goals.